Yesterday I was driving through Lehi, and I saw two missionaries standing on the street corner. They were holding signs, I couldnt read everything the signs said, but it was something like "Need something done? Let us do it for you!" Is this common for missionaries to do? Is this a church approved form of "proselying"?

Did the fine print say "only 10%"?

They are desparate for contacts. Any kind of contacts!!!

Yes, they are told they are to volunteer their services. But standing on corners with signs? Hmmm, that seems a little strange but maybe it's OK according to their rules.

They can do what ever the hell they want, they are adults. Now are they supposed to? I don't know what Lehi's panhandling laws are but they might be in violation. As far as the mission rules, who cares?

What a waste of time. Even when I was a missionary, I rarely participated in "service" projects because they were a huge waste of my time. The idea behind a Missionary service project is that you go and do a bunch of free work for people who don't need it, and then leverage the opportunity to try and teach them a message. We used to hear stories about "wonderful experiences" where missionaries did this and it led to baptisms. There was even that movie about the old farmer who didn't have time for the discussions because he had farm work, and the missionaries helped him, blah, blah, blah. In my experience the service projects eventually won you the opportunity to share your message to people who agreed to sit and wait out it out while you taught a discussion in their presence, but that was never what they were actually interested in.

It just seems like a lot of money and a huge opportunity cost to not at least try to save some souls!

I always enjoyed the opportunities to serve--it meant less time knocking on doors, and far less time (shudder) street contacting. I suppose that in the back of my mind, I hoped that it would lead to the opportunity to "teach", but, mostly, it ended up being about not having to do missionary work.

Geez - missionaries are now resorting to the same techniques as panhandlers and hookers? That's just sad.

First time poster, long time lurker. Been out of the church since 2004, only 4 years in. But I digress, I joined young (16) and became inactive fast and then went off to college. Some missionaries showed up when I was away at college to re-activate me. When my mom answered in gardening clothes and said I was away at school for the year they offered to help her garden and do work around the house.

My mom was hugely anti-lds but had those boys working to the bone. They weeded and mulched the garden, painted, mowed the lawn and even walked our dogs. My mom said she sorta felt bad but also felt worse that they preyed on young impressionable girls (I was date dunked - he dropped me like a stone was I was baptized and firmly set up with lds gf's to console me, actually told me so). She cooked the boys dinner, told them what she truly thought of the church and the temple. She thanked them for helping a single mom like her but that after the dinner and dessert to never step foot on our property again. They surprisingly were fine about it.

Now I realize those young boys were probably just happy to do something other than knock on doors.

Maybe I can get my roof done by the mishies?


Great story Rebekah...


Always strings attached, though....

Some missions, as far as I have observed, have been big on "service" since 2011.

A missionary told that it is very instrumental in "softening" the hearts of those who are reluctant to meet with them or helping members strengthen or regain their testimonies.

How does one appreciate the service when there's a hidden agenda?

I had two nice young men stop by--looking for inactive Sister StillBurned--as I was painting my house (sidebar: Is one of 'em always from Utah? Or is it just me?). They offered to help and while I politely engaged in conversation and said I was nearly finished, I thought to myself how I'd rather fall off the roof painting the chimney than have to play "quid pro quo" with these two. But it does occur to me that if TSCC did missions far differently, they might have better results. But, that's nothing that many on this board haven't already said.

Don't know, but it sounds desperate and pathetic.

If they want day labor, they should stand outside Home Depot.

but I can't remember if it was in Colorado or here in Utah where I live--but, yes, I've seen it.

biblebeltbetsy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Yesterday I was driving through Lehi, and I saw
> two missionaries standing on the street corner.
> They were holding signs, I couldnt read everything
> the signs said, but it was something like "Need
> something done? Let us do it for you!" Is this
> common for missionaries to do? Is this a church
> approved form of "proselying"?

I bet they dpn't let the sister missionaries do this. (and they shouldn't)

We were encouraged to do 4 hours of service every week as missionaries - I believe that was a church wide policy - at least in the United States.

Of course we were told that we could only do service if we were wearing our name tags - and I think eventually only if we were wearing a shirt and tie. We were only allowed to do service if we were doing it to be seen.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/19/2013 01:01PM by bc.

I guess "I've given up trying to recognize when others are in need. What do I have to do to get you to talk to me?" just didn't fit on the sign.

to most of the mishies in the area. They always gathered at my house on P-day and I never knew how many of them would be there when I got home from work. We would pool our money and get pizzas and soft drinks. In those days, they were allowed to wear civilian clothes on P-days. We rented G and PG videos and had a great time. They knew I would never snitch on them if they were late getting home because of staying late to finish a movie. (Their MP was a total jerk - last I knew, he had risen way up in the hierarchy. He treated those kids like garbage, but I didn't, and their appreciation was a very rich payback.)

One day, I asked if they could help me clean the side of my house that was growing slimy green stuff on the siding (this was in the Deep, Humid South). I couldn't do it myself because of a shoulder injury. Bless their little hearts, those kids showed up with buckets and brooms and scrubbed that siding clean in no time. There was a lot of splashing and laughing, and then of course we had the usual pizza and movies. I have to say, they were wonderful kids. They didn't owe me a thing - heck, I had already joined - but I really enjoyed their company and they seemed to enjoy hanging out at my house.

Over the years, many of the kids would stop by my house before going home, and told me that those P-days at my house helped them survive the whole mission experience. It was definitely a two-way street. I was recovering from a disastrous divorce, and I think I enjoyed P-day as much as they did. Those kids were great.